Holding means



May 24, 1938. H. P. WURMAN El AL HOLDING MEANS Filed March 16, 1935 wkm Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLDING MEANS Application March 16, 1935, Serial No. 11,434

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improvement in holding means.

The holding means according to this invention while, as will be obvious, it has various uses, is more particularly advantageous for holding tobacco, in the form of bunches or hands, with respect to a support where it is desired to hold the tobacco for treatment, as, for example, in conditioning, i. e., moistening or drying, and the invention will hereinafter be more specifically described and claimed from the specific standpoint with respect to such use.

Generally speaking, this invention contemplates a support, which may be of any suitable form or type and may be adapted to be fixedly mounted, or to be mounted on a conveyor or carrier, and having a surface against which at least the butt portion of a bunch or hand or tobacco may lie, in combination with a resilient band secured adjacent its ends to the support and being normally under tension.

More particularly, the support will be provided with a stop located with respect to its surface against which the butt portion of the bunch or hand lies so that it will form a rest for the butt end of the bunch or hand.

More particularly, the resilient band will have portions of reduced thickness adjacent its ends. Still more particularly, the band will be thickened at its ends for engagement by means for fastening it to the support and also thickened in its middle portion, for example, by the formation of a bead extending from its inner surface to points spaced from the thickened end portions. The band will be desirably provided with a projec-- tion on its outer surface which will provide a handle for manipulation of the band.

Having now indicated in a general way the nature and purpose of this invention, we will proceed to a detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a holding means embodying this invention, with a hand of tobacco leaves engaged thereby.

Figure 2 is a side view of the holding band shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view showing means for fastening the band to the support.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4, Figure 2.

Referring now to the several figures, A indicatesa support which, as shown, comprises a stick having a plane surface I), at the lower edge of which is formed a ledge c, which forms a stop for the butt end of a bunch of tobacco leaves D, the butt portion e of which, it will be noted, lies against the surface I). The support A may be made of any suitable material, as wood, metal, etc.

The holding band F is formed of any suitable resilient material and will desirably be formed of rubber where tobacco is to be held, since it will present a soft surface to the tobacco and will have a tight grip without doing injury to the tobacco.

The band F will be thickened in its end portions, as indicated at g, and preferably will be provided with beads h at its extreme ends. The middle portion of the band will be thickened, as by the formation on its inner surface of a bead 2' extending lengthwise of the band to points spaced from the thickened end portions intermediate its edges. In the band as described, it will be noted that portions 9', adjacent the ends are thinner and hence more resilient than are the end portions and the middle portion. The band F will desirably be provided with member is extending from its outer surface to serve as a handie.

The band F will be fastened to the surfaces 12 of the support A by any convenient fastening means passed over or through its thickened end portions, as, for example, by the staples I. When staples are used the beads h, h will serve to prevent the band from being pulled away from the staples.

The band F is secured to the surface I) of support A so that the band will be normally under tension. Thus, the band is stretched and put under tension and secured by the staples at points such that it normally remains under tension, as indicated in Figure 3 in comparison with Figure 2.

From the above description and by reference to the drawing, the operation of the device will be obvious. Assuming that a hand or bunch of tobacco leaves is to be secured to the support A, with the band in the position and under tension as shown in Figure 3, the handle it is grasped and the band is pulled away from the surface b, the butt portion e of the bunch of tobacco leaves D is thrust between the surface b and the inner surface of the band, until the end of the butt portion engages the stop 0, then the band is released to engage the butt portion of the bunch.

It will be noted that the bead i engages the butt portion of the bunch and that it is forced into tight engagement by virtue of the greater resiliency of the portions 7', 7' in comparison with the middle portion of the band, without, due to the thickening of the middle portion of the band, exerting an undue twisting strain on the butt portion.

As will be obvious various modifications in detail can be made in the embodiment of this invention as described above without departing from the scope of the invention. It will also be appreciated that the band F may be produced by molding, the various parts being formed inte- 10 grally, or that where such is undesirable, the

parts, formed separately, may be assembled into a unitary structure.

What we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

In a holding means, a resilient band having a resilient bead on its inner surface between its edges and extending between points spaced from the ends of the band. 

